


What Felt Right

by aniura



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: DannyPaulina, DannyxPaulina, F/M, Fluff, Kwan rights, Parental Bonding, PaulinaDanny, Pink Astronaut, Reveal, Secret Lovers Gift Exchange DP Reddit Discord Server, Sorry I actually really like the popular kids in DP, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-13 16:35:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29281572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aniura/pseuds/aniura
Summary: Danny Fenton may not have been the type of boy Paulina normally talked to, but something about him felt different. Something felt right. And although Paulina loved the amulet Danny gave her, she understood when his friend asked for it back. Paulina didn’t see why Sam couldn’t have let her wear it for the rest of the dance, but she seemed pretty desperate.It must have been a pretty special heirloom.
Relationships: Danny Fenton & Kwan, Danny Fenton & Tucker Foley & Sam Manson, Danny Fenton/Paulina Sanchez, Paulina & Kwan
Comments: 12
Kudos: 31





	1. She Felt Different

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AnnihilationX](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnihilationX/gifts).



> CW: Underage drinking, swearing/cursing.
> 
> This is my submission for the Danny Phantom Reddit Discord Server's "Secret Lovers" fanfiction challenge! Anectoplasm, I hope you like this Pink Astronaut fic!!

[ ](https://ibb.co/QYw6vXX)

Danny Fenton may not have been the type of boy Paulina normally talked to, but something about him felt _different._ Maybe it was because he wasn’t puffing out his chest and acting like he was the best thing to ever grace her presence. Maybe it was because he made it her laugh. Whatever it was, when his pants hit the grass and he looked like he was so embarrassed that he wanted to jump out of his skin, Paulina Sanchez decided to give him a chance.

His goth friend may have been rude as hell that day, but it wasn’t a deal breaker. Whether she was jealous or what, Paulina didn’t know. Girls tended to not like Paulina anyways – she was used to it. What did surprise her was when the girl approached her at the big dance to apologize for calling her shallow. She had to admit, people usually didn’t have the guts to admit when they’d messed up.

And although Paulina loved the amulet Danny gave her, she understood when the girl, Sam, asked for it back. Paulina didn’t see why Sam couldn’t have let her wear it for the rest of the dance, but she seemed pretty desperate.

It must have been a pretty special heirloom.

* * *

_Too loud._

Danny rubbed the side of his plastic cup, wiping off some of the condensation with his thumb. Trying to focus on the wet coolness rather than the blaring noise of the party. The music wasn’t loud, but the crowd was a cacophony of voices – laughing, crying, singing, shouting. It was a wonder that they’d managed to cram so many high schoolers into one house. He couldn’t even remember who’s house he’d been ushered to after the big dance – that girl Valerie’s, maybe? Danny had managed to secure a spot on the end of a long couch – a couple sat on the other two cushions, laughing loudly. It was impossible to discern exactly what they were saying over the other voices, but he was pretty sure they were gossiping about someone who lost their virginity that night. Occasionally, the girl that sat next to him accidentally brushed his arm or leg as she animatedly told her story, making him flinch every time at the unwelcome and unexpected contact. She didn’t seem to notice that she was constantly invading his personal space, too drunk or too popular to care.

They never used to have after-parties for dances in middle school – just one _more_ thing he’d have to get used to, now that he’d started at Casper High. And middle school parties _definitely_ wouldn’t have drinks at them.

Or maybe there were parties and drinking, and he just was never invited before.

He looked up from his drink and scanned the crowd. He didn’t know most of their faces – they were probably a grade or two older than him, or so popular that they weren’t even living in the same universe as he was. Danny sighed, idly swirling his drink in his hand. The smell of it wafted up, tangy and sour. He wrinkled his nose.

He wished Sam or Tucker were here. They were familiar, safe. His date had asked him if he was fine splitting off for a while, and like an idiot, he agreed. How was he even supposed to _try_ to talk to any of these people? Dash hated him, after all. Danny was sure they all saw just him as the quarterback’s punching bag.

A sudden weight leaned on him. Pink fabric cascaded into his lap. “Danny! What are you doing over here all by yourself?”

Danny looked up. Paulina had flung herself onto the couch’s armrest, slightly sweaty and disheveled from the long night but still as gorgeous as ever.

“Uh, hey, Paulina,” he said at normal volume, quickly realizing he was talking too quietly for the setting. He raised his voice. “Just uh, enjoying my drink! You know, taking a step back for a second. Great party!”

She threw her head back and laughed before plucking the red cup from his hands. “Enjoying your drink, hum?” Paulina asked, words slurring. “Sure doesn’t look like it.”

“Oh, I mean, that was my second one, just started.” He mentally kicked himself. Why did he always try to lie when he was nervous? His dumb lies usually worked on his parents, but even though he barely knew Paulina, this evening had already told him that she was much more perceptive than his ghost-obsessed parents.

Paulina shot him a conspiratorial grin, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Suddenly, she leaned down, a mere inch or two away from his face. Danny stiffened, almost letting a surprised yelp into her face. Was this… were they going to kiss? She stared at him for a moment, eyes wide and slightly unfocused, a grin on her face. Should he close his eyes and lean in? He’d seen that in movies, that was probably what he should do, right?

“This isn’t your second drink. You don’t even smell like beer.” She took a gulp from his cup with a laugh. “And with how nervous you are, there’s _no way_ you aren’t sober.”

Danny’s heart dropped. God, now she was _really_ going to think he was the biggest loser on the planet. He _desperately_ wished he could let loose, party like a normal teenager. But he barely had any control over his ghost powers while he was sober. He’d gotten better since the accident around a month ago, but he had no idea how alcohol would affect him – what if he got the urge to reveal he was Danny Phantom to the most popular kids at Casper High? What if he lost control of his powers and suddenly fell through the floor?

Not like Paulina would know any of that. She probably just saw him as another straight-edge nerd. Next week she’d be pointing fingers and laughing when Dash tried to shove him into the lockers. “Sorry,” Danny replied, lamely. “I don’t really drink.”

Paulina raised a hand to her mouth and giggled. She leaned back down, hovering near his ear so she didn’t have to keep shouting over the noise. “You don’t have to lie, Danny. Plenty of people don’t wanna drink. Who cares?” She took another sip from his cup. The tangy stench of beer wafted into his face with her breath. “How about this. You can give me this drink since I actually want it…” She playfully swirled the plastic cup in her hand for emphasis. “And you try to stop being so nervous and come hang out upstairs with us?”

Paulina stood up with a slight wobble and gestured to the nearby door leading upstairs. “What do you say?”

Danny looked her up and down hesitantly. Was she being for real? Popular kids tended to pretend to be nice to make him or his friends the butt of the joke… but Paulina’s smile seemed genuine. And she _had_ been a great date. It wouldn’t make much sense for her to turn on him _now,_ right?

Danny stood up and re-buttoned the jacket of his suit. He nodded with a smile. There was only one way to find out.

Paulina reached back and eagerly grabbed his wrist with a pink-gloved hand. “You’re my date, aren’t you? Hold my hand like a gentleman,” she shouted over the noise, a mirthful sparkle in her eye.

Danny felt his face heat up and nodded again, lacing his fingers in hers, and allowed himself to be led up the stairs. He wasn’t used to girls being so direct. Not like he had _that much_ experience with girls, besides being friends with Sam. But she was usually reticent with emotional stuff – he’d only figured out that night she even wanted to go to the dance after weeks of too-subtle hints.

People seemed to sense Paulina’s presence, almost magically parting to let her through. Danny watched, amazed at this apparent superpower. Paulina smiled and waved to a few of the people they passed, headed for another wing of the house. At least once a week, he said “excuse me” to someone in the Casper High hallways who completely ignored him, leaving him to awkwardly squeeze around. The crowd thinned quickly as they left the main area of the house, entering the kitchen where a small group congregated around a table filled with plastic cups.

Danny recognized more people here, kids his age. Kwan was the only person not engaged in conversation. He stood at the table, focusing on pouring beer into the sea of cups. Danny hesitated when he saw the jock – he knew this was Dash’s best friend. And Dash had tried to hit on Paulina at the dance, wouldn’t he be pissed that Danny was here now? Brazenly holding Paulina’s hand? Danny couldn’t help but picture his head getting smashed into the table, soaking his clothes with alcohol and –

“Hey! Paulina, you found him! What’s up, Fenton?” Kwan beamed at him.

Or… not? A few other people in the room paused their conversations for a moment to wave at him or say a quick hello. This didn’t make any sense, this _had_ to be an elaborate joke, right? He was a nerd, Dash’s _favorite_ person to pester at school, why were they acting like he _belonged_ here?

Paulina nudged him, alcohol making the movement clumsy. “Danny, he said hi.”

Danny blinked, pulled out of his thoughts. Screw it, he had to know. He faced Kwan. “I don’t get it, don’t you hate me?”

Kwan’s brow furrowed. “Hate you? Dude, no offense, but I barely know you.”

“But aren’t you like, Dash’s best friend? I just–”

Immediately, he was cut off by a loud groan from Kwan and a series of cackles from Paulina.

Kwan set the tall can of beer down and made a sweeping motion with his arms, an emphatic _no._ The motion was smooth and measured – a sign of his relative sobriety. “Hell _no._ You think I _like_ hanging around him? That guy fucking sucks!”

Paulina’s laughter died down enough to respond. “Did you know right after he met me, he told me he likes _scrubbing his mom’s feet?”_ She let out a small scream."I can’t believe I’ll have to cheerlead near that guy for the rest of the season!”

“But then why…” Danny trailed off, confused. He felt like he was in The Twilight Zone. Kwan hated Dash too? Why?

“Don’t you have anyone you’re, like, forced to get along with? Dash is the quarterback, I’m the center.” Kwan shrugged. “Easier to just get along. Unlike him, I don’t like solving all my problems with fighting.”

Paulina’s expression darkened. “Did you know he shoved my date into a fucking _locker_ last week? Who _does_ that?”

Kwan gave a loud laugh. “Oh _classic_ Dash.” He turned to Danny. “Did he give you some idiotic reason for it?”

“I think he wanted to, um, ask Paulina out,” Danny stammered, still taken aback.

Paulina and Kwan exploded with laughter. Paulina leaned her forehead on Danny’s shoulder, her laughs shaking him slightly.

Danny thought back. And it hit him.

Out of all the times Dash had picked on him or his friends, Kwan had never been there. Not once. Not in the cafeteria during ultra-recyclo vegetarian week, not after the football game two weeks ago, not in the halls when Dash tried to stop him from asking out Paulina.

He focused on the jock in front of him – he seemed good-natured, friendly enough. _Nothing_ like Dash. Paulina and Kwan were clearly laughing _with_ him, not at him.

God, was he actually _fitting in_ with the popular kids right now? His head buzzed.

When the laughter died down, Kwan gestured to the table. “You wanna play with us, Fenton? Stack Cup, once I finish setting it up.”

Danny didn’t know what Stack Cup meant, but if it involved a table full of beer, he definitely didn’t want to take part. Paulina nudged him, a small, wordless encouragement to answer truthfully.

After the trio’s exchange, Danny felt confident enough to take her silent advice. To be himself.

Danny shook his head. “I don’t really drink. Looks fun, though.”

Kwan smiled. “Respect. Me neither.”

“And Kwan?” Danny added, emboldened by Kwan’s warm reply. “It’s not ‘Fenton,’ it’s just ‘Danny.’”

Kwan nodded. “Danny,” he agreed.

* * *

Danny walked Paulina down the sidewalk, holding her hand. The Amity Park street was silent, save for the leaves that rustled on the trees lining the sidewalk – not even a car would drive by this late at night. Danny was happy to escort her back to her huge mansion, the one that looked as rich and perfect as she did. Well, as she usually did.

The long night had left her looking less flawless than normal. Her curls were slightly frizzy after a long night of dancing, and her mascara painted black streaks under her eyes. But he still couldn’t help but be disarmed by her. In fact, seeing her in this new light only made his heart flutter more.

Paulina let out a small grunt. “Hold on,” she mumbled, still intoxicated from the party.

She gripped Danny’s shoulder and leaned down, slipping off one pink high heel after the other. “God, I should’ve packed other shoes for the walk home.” She rubbed one of her feet for a second.

Danny spied raw, bleeding skin on her heel. “Jesus, Paulina… that’s from your _shoes?”_

Paulina nodded. She placed both feet back on the ground and stood up straight, stretching. “Don’t worry about it, Danny,” she grunted. “Girls gotta suffer for beauty, right?” She let out a soft laugh, half-hearted. “I’m sure I look like a mess right now.”

“What? No. Absolutely _not.”_

“It’s okay, you don’t have to lie to me,” she said with a frown and a clumsy wave of her arm.

“Paulina, I…” Danny trailed off. He didn’t know how to reply – Sam never cared about girly things like looking pretty. She _definitely_ would have said that it’s sexist or something to suffer in high heels for beauty. Even though he didn’t have practice with these types of conversations, he knew one thing. He knew how much he respected Paulina for just saying exactly what she was thinking. The least he could do is try it, as well. “Who cares if you look like a mess?”

Paulina shot him a glare. “Stop, I said you didn’t have to lie.”

“And I’m not! I swear.” Danny smiled, trying to show how genuine he was truly being. “All I see is a girl who showed me an _amazing_ time and got me to stop worrying so much _for once_ about what other people think. So if your hair or makeup is messy… who cares?”

Paulina leaned into him. Her foundation left a slight streak on his suit jacket, another dark beige mark added to all the others from over the course of the evening. She looked at the ground. “Danny, I _know_ you only asked me to this dance because you think I’m hot.”

She was right. Danny _had_ asked her to the big dance because he thought she was pretty – he could admit he’d judged a book by its cover, just like Sam said he was doing. But he’d discovered a gem of a person, someone who was unbelievably confident in who she was, something he so desperately wanted for himself. Confidence that enabled her to not only ask for what she wanted, but that was contagious enough to bolster him to be himself more during the party.

“You’re right, Paulina.”

She heaved a heavy sigh, still leaning on him.

His heart pounded. He looked away from Paulina, nervous. He sucked at emotions, but he had to try. _Especially_ after how she supported him at the party. “And you know what? You _are_ pretty. But tonight you’ve shown me that you’re also super fucking smart. And hilarious. And confident. Just _so_ many things I wish I was.” Danny let out a nervous laugh. “I don’t know how you do it. So, yeah. Even with messed up hair or streaked makeup or whatever, you’re still gorgeous. To me, at least.”

He braved a peek back at his date after his candid speech.

More black eyelash imprints had appeared under her eyes. Tears pooled.

And before he had time to react, she leaned up and kissed him. Danny stiffened, almost letting a surprised gasp escape into her mouth. His first kiss and he wasn’t even ready for it. He quickly tried to course correct, closing his eyes and putting a hand around her waist.

Paulina pulled back and stood up straight, looking into his eyes with a teary-eyed sniff. Danny’s head buzzed.

Oh my god, that was his _first kiss._

“Do you want to know why I said yes to you, Danny? You can probably guess I had a bunch of guys ask me to the big dance.”

Danny nodded, a jerky and quick movement in his dazed state.

“You’re the only boy who didn’t ask me out like I owed him something,” she said, her voice cracking with emotion. “You’re the only one who seemed to actually care what I thought, who would’ve taken a ‘no’ if I gave it.”

Paulina took a deep, shaky breath. “Boys don’t usually give me the time of day if I don’t, like… look perfect. So thank you… thank you for saying that. I’m glad I took a chance on you, Danny.”

Danny gaped, unsure of what to say. He didn’t feel like he had done anything special. If anything, _he_ should be thanking _her_ for everything. “I’m… uh, I’m glad too, Paulina,” he stammered, unable to conceal his anxiety.

She wrapped her arms around him, the high heels in her hand clacking behind him. Without the shoes, they were back to around equal height. She smirked coyly. “Danny, are you saying you _like_ me?”

“Are you crazy? Of _course_ I like you,” Danny blurted.

Her smile grew. “Why don’t you kiss me?” Paulina said, a request more than a legitimate question.

Danny looked away, embarrassed. “You’re… you’re _drunk_ , aren’t you?”

Paulina laughed, suddenly and too loudly for how close they were. “Danny, how long do you think alcohol lasts?”

He felt his face heat up. “I don’t know, like… until morning, right?” Wasn’t that why people got hangovers in movies? Drinking too much, then their head hurt toward the end? He had no idea, it was a genuine guess. His parents never had alcohol in the house unless they had a dinner guest or something, and that hadn’t happened in years.

A series of different emotions flickered over Paulina’s face, all of them amused. “Baby, _no,”_ she said, laughing. The pet name made his face heat up more. “You really think I could go home and see my _papá_ if I was acting drunk? He’d kill both of us,” she added bluntly.

Danny turned back to Paulina. And for the first time that night, he didn’t think, he didn’t worry.

He just did what felt right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you hazama_d20 for beta reading this!


	2. He Felt Different

Paulina rubbed the heart charm on her gold necklace between her fingers as she walked up the steps to Danny's house, her first time over. Even though Danny had given the necklace to her two whole weeks ago, it still felt new around her neck, a small weight that reminded her of him in a comforting way.

By now, the whole school must know that they were, as Danny put it, "going steady." Paulina thought that phrase was hilariously old-fashioned at first, but it had grown on her.

Kind of like Danny did.

Paulina looked up at the apartment complex and the garish sign on the side of the building. "FentonWorks." A larger metal contraption sat on the roof, and although Paulina couldn't tell exactly what it was in the evening darkness besides another floor of some kind, it was clear it was homemade. Danny had warned that his parents could be over the top, but this wasn't exactly what Paulina had in mind. It was hard to imagine quiet Danny Fenton and his perfectionist sister coming from a place that would hang some garish homemade sign and giant metal box on their house. For a second, she wondered if she should say she should invite Danny and his friends over to her house, instead. It was nicer.

Quickly, she decided against it. It shouldn't matter if none of her other friends lived in places like this, her _boyfriend_ did. She was just going to have to get used to it. She smoothed her pink mini skirt, adjusted her hair, and knocked.

The door quickly swung open, leaving her no time to even lower her fist. Danny beamed up at her, making no moves to conceal his excitement. Her heart fluttered at his candid expression.

"Paulina! You made it!"

She smiled at him. "Of _course_ I made it," she answered. "You think I'd miss something as fun as a board game night with you and your friends? I don't think I've _ever_ hung out just to play games."

"Wait, really? Never?" His smile died. "I-if that's too lame, if you wanna do something else, I'm sure Sam and Tucker would-"

She shook her head, smoothly and slowly to counter his borderline frantic energy. " _Danny._ I _like_ spending time with your friends. I want to do things you three enjoy, too."

"Right… right!" The wide grin returned to his face as quickly as it had disappeared. "Of course. I mean, that makes sense, I like spending time with Kwan and Star too, even though you guys like doing different stuff."

"Now you get it." Paulina resisted the urge to chuckle at his obvious statement and she bent down to remove her wedges.

"Oh! You don't have to do that. Just come in, it's freezing out here. I don't know how you're wearing a skirt."

Paulina's eyes flicked to Danny's feet. He was still wearing his shoes _inside_? Yeah, she was _really_ going to have to get used to Danny's house.

She stepped inside, surprised to find a spacious living room instead of the cramped apartment unit she imagined. "Are the other tenants upstairs?"

Danny gestured for her to follow as he walked toward the stairs. "Tenants?"

Paulina followed his lead. "You know, like, other people in the apartment?"

" _Apartment?_ No, uh, all this is ours." Danny laughed. "I think it used to be a duplex or something, but my parents bought the whole building so they could use part of the house as their… office slash science lab."

Paulina took in the house as they walked up the stairs – the tall ceilings in the living room, the multiple bedrooms. It wasn't comparable to the size of her house, but it was a lot more spacious than she expected. She silently admonished herself for judging Danny's parents so quickly. Maybe ghost hunting paid more than she thought.

Danny opened the bedroom door for her. A sign that read "Danny's Bedroom" was taped to the wood. Paulina smiled – it had a tacky sort of charm that she didn't expect to find herself grinning at.

"So 'FentonWorks' is the name of your parents' business? Why don't you ever call it that?" Paulina stepped inside the room. Sam and Tucker were already there, sprawled on the ground around a pile of UNO cards. Noticing immediately that both of their shoes were off, Paulina followed suit with relief, tossing her heels into the corner.

Tucker slapped a reverse card onto the pile. "Hard to talk about FentonWorks like it's a legitimate business when all his parents do is run around in neon jumpsuits." Paulina couldn't help but laugh.

Danny closed the door behind them with a groan. "They invent stuff, too."

"That actually works?" Tucker quipped. Sam wordlessly placed a card on the pile.

" _Some_ of it works!"

"And we all know how well _that's_ worked out for you."

" _Tucker!"_ Danny and Sam snapped at him simultaneously.

Paulina flinched slightly, waiting for a big fight to ensue. A nerve had been struck, about what, Paulina didn't know. No fight came though, Tucker just kept grinning as No fight came though, Tucker just kept grinning as Sam and Danny quickly moved on. Sam slapped another card on their UNO pile while Danny made his way to his bed, plopping down on the edge.

Paulina followed suit, sitting down next to him and crossing her legs, trying to make sense of the emotional shift in the room. She never jokingly fought with her friends, so it was odd for her to simply go back to normal after someone shouted.

"Do you like to play games, Paulina?" Sam asked casually, studying her hand of cards.

Paulina wrinkled her nose, immediately on the defensive. What did she mean, _play games?_ Like with Danny? Hadn't they already gone through this? She _liked_ Danny. In fact, he was one of the first boys to not play games with _her._ Why were girls always like this to her? Why did-

Sam gestured over her shoulder at a pile of colorful boxes. "We have Sorry, Settlers of Catan, I think Monopoly, if that's more your thing."

Paulina blinked. "Oh! _Games._ " She felt so stupid. Of _course_ Sam meant games you play _._ "Um, I play that one online computer game sometimes, the one a lot of girls at our school like. _Doomed_."

The boys burst out laughing. Danny flung an arm around Paulina's shoulder. "That's a good one, Paulina."

Paulina looked quickly from Danny to Tucker, surprised at their reaction. Sam, on the other hand, gave her a knowing smile. " _Yeah,_ Paulina," she deadpanned. "Everyone knows _girls_ don't know anything about video games."

Paulina chuckled softly, covering her mouth with a hand. "Of _course._ What if I, like, broke a nail or something?"

The girls held their smiling eye contact for a second, a shared moment of solidarity, as the boys' laughter died down. Paulina really _was_ starting to warm up to her. She loved how blunt the girl could be, especially since it was always in a way Paulina found funny.

Danny leaned forward with a grin, looking between Sam and Paulina. "What? You guys have an inside joke or something?"

Tucker scoffed. "There's no way you guys went from hating each other to being best friends with inside jokes. Girls _always_ hold grudges."

"Tucker!" Danny admonished.

Sam rolled her eyes. "Yeah, 'cause you're _totally_ the girl expert, right Tucker? Remind me, how many girls have you dated?"

Paulina laughed at the joke, louder this time. She crossed her arms, smirking. "Why _wouldn't_ I be her friend? Sam apologized. I apologized. What more is there to do? Do you really think girls just talk shit behind each other's backs all day?"

Tucker stiffened, a blush rushing to his cheeks. Danny threw his head back, laughing so loudly and genuinely that Paulina couldn't help but join in.

Danny's friends were so different from hers, but she was growing to love spending time with them. She could see why Danny got along with them so well. She clutched her necklace, looking over at her boyfriend with a warm smile as she tried to capture everything. In this moment, Paulina was truly _happy._ She wanted to remember, to sear it into her memory.

The scent of the room, Danny's unmistakable smell mixed with some kind of inexpensive floral air freshener. The chorus of laughs that filled her ears coming from Danny and his friends. _Their_ friends. The softness of his faded worn sweatshirt that rubbed on her arm as Danny's shoulders shook. The way Danny's nose crinkled as he laughed. The white cloud of warm breath that escaped from his lips.

Danny's eyes shot open. The smile fell from his face.

"That's weird," Paulina said slowly as she watched another cloud dissipate. "It's not _that_ cold in here."

Her voice sounded oddly loud to her – it hit her that the room was now completely, deathly silent. She looked to Sam and Tucker. They looked frenzied, making small jerky gestures and mouthing words to each other that she couldn't make out.

Paulina slowly unbuttoned her wool cardigan and shrugged it off of her shoulders, revealing the baby tee she wore underneath. "Here. If you're cold, you can just borrow this," she said, wrapping it around Danny's shoulders. She was a little taller than him, it should fit fine without stretching it out or anything.

The motion seemed to take Danny out of his stupor. He slowly looked down at the sweater, then to Paulina, as if he couldn't believe she'd lent it to him. "Paulina, can you, um… I need to, uh-"

Sam stood up with a forced grin. "Paulina, you know, I've actually been meaning to ask you to show me how you do your eyeshadow!" She let out a clearly uncomfortable laugh. "I'm _so_ bad at it, can you come show me?"

Paulina blinked, nonplussed, trying to make sense of this sudden sense of urgency that everyone seemed to understand but her. "I… I didn't bring any, I thought we were-"

"That's okay!" Sam exclaimed, oddly animated. She reached forward and grabbed Paulina's arm. She wiggled under the goth's grasp. "Let's go ask Jazz. Girls' time!"

Paulina yanked harder, freeing herself. "Not until one of you tells me what's going on!"

Danny stood up, giving a dramatic shiver as he slid the cardigan on. "N-no, Paulina's right, I'm, uh, just cold," he stammered, in the way he always did when he was nervous. Condensation spilled from his lips, floating toward the ceiling. "No big deal. I'm gonna go check on the, uh, the thermostat."

Paulina stood up as Danny headed for his bedroom door and followed after him, rage swirling in her chest. This wasn't about the temperature. She _knew_ it couldn't be. And if they thought they could keep her in the dark about _whatever_ was going on, if they thought she was that stupid, then Danny and his friends had another –

_Cold._

Rushing wind whipped Paulina's hair over her face, covering her vision. She gasped for air, feeling her lungs expand but none of the relief oxygen brought. Something bit at her arms. She tried to scream, but her panic constricted her vocal cords. Only a choked squeak came out.

The sharpness that clamped down on her arms released. For a terrifying moment, Paulina fell through the air. Her shoulder hit the ground with a slam.

" _Where is it?"_ A woman's voice hissed.

Paulina trembled, her vision still blocked by her hair, too frightened to move. Quickly, she tried to take stock of her situation. Her shoulder sent shooting pains through her body. She felt small rocks underneath her thighs and bare feet. The cold air bit at her skin. Outside? How had she gotten outside so quickly?

"I'm not going to ask you again. Where. Is. It?"

Shakily, Paulina sat up and reached up to rake her long hair away from her eyes. Her shoulder joint screamed in protest.

A ghost.

Never in her life had Paulina seen a supernatural occurrence, but there was no denying what was in front of her. Everything from the woman's sickly green skin to her flowing gown were translucent. She _hovered_ over her. Red eyes glowered down at her, glowing with such a ferocity it was painful to look at them directly.

Some of her friends had told her they believed in ghosts now after the weird occurrences happening recently in Amity Park. She'd just laughed them off. Even _Danny_ laughed it off with her, and his parents _studied_ this stuff. They both agreed it was stupid to believe in the supernatural. And now here she was, dragged out of that very same boyfriend's house by a dead woman. Paulina felt light-headed. This was all too much. "I… I don't…"

"Don't play coy with me. I saw you at the human ball. I saw you _wearing it._ "

The sound of shoes slapping, sprinting toward them. " _Paulina!"_

The ghost growled, whipping around toward the noise. Paulina flinched as the woman's braid swung toward her face – but it passed right through her. Maybe the ghost couldn't touch her right now? Emboldened, she leaned around the ghost looking for the voice. Danny.

He stumbled over the sidewalk curb as he rushed over. Paulina realized she was laying in the middle of the street. She could see the massive tower on top of Danny's house, almost an entire block away.

"Paulina, _run!"_ He panted, already out of breath. He waved his arm. "Get out of here!"

" _What?!"_ He wanted her to leave him here _by himself?_ Maybe Danny had ghost-scientist parents, but he was still as thin as a twig, not to mention his general lack of strength. At least Paulina did cheerleading – her cardio was much better than his. She stood a better chance in this fight than he ever could. Even worse, his hands were empty – no weapon or ghost-catching device in sight.

" _You!"_ The ghost hissed. "I remember you. You're the half-"

"Paulina, _go!"_

Before she had time to think, Paulina sprung to her feet and sprinted toward her boyfriend, grabbing his wrist with her good arm and yanking him back toward the house, the pavement stabbing into her bare feet. He struggled against her grip as he was forced to run behind her.

"Paulina, you don't understand, you have to go!" He gasped, still out of breath from his initial sprint. "Please, just trust me!"

"I'm not leaving you there to _die,_ Danny!"

"I'll be fine!" He gave one final yank, slipping through her grip in a wash of sudden cold.

She barely had time to react before he was swept away in a green blur.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for giving this pink astronaut fic a chance! This was originally going to be a one-shot, but I just kept going, lol. There will definitely be a chapter 3... we'll see if there's more after that! I'm not setting an update schedule for this fic, but if you enjoy my writing and would like a consistent update schedule, you can check out Just Fourteen, which updates every 2 weeks.
> 
> Thank you to hazama_d20 for beta reading! My fellow Paulina fan!
> 
> Best,  
> Ani

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you hazama_d20 for beta reading this!


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